It's been 15 years and all I remember is she pronounced the number 7 like "SEEVIN".

Sounds Aussie. A Kiwi would say s'vn

Gosh I hate the "You have quoted more than the allowed blocks of text" error.

me too!!!! whats the point, why do they have a limit?

It's been 15 years and all I remember is she pronounced the number 7 like "SEEVIN".

Sounds Aussie. A Kiwi would say s'vn

Gosh I hate the "You have quoted more than the allowed blocks of text" error.

me too!!!! whats the point, why do they have a limit?

To save on bandwidth I would imagine. There is no need to quote the previous 10-15 postswhen making a reply. It's also a pain in the ass to scroll through it all.

It can be difficult to just quote what you need to quote though.

I usually give up on topics by about the third page for this reason. I've usually said all I need to say by that stage anyway.

If ThaiVisa was a democracy I'd vote for all discussion topics to be deleted after 5 pages.

Yes, it's a bit of a chore to edit concisely, even with excellent hand coordination. But it is better. I edit out blank spaces, too.

There are no neutral accents. Queen Elizabeth talks funny. Sitting at Tusker's last week - after 7 years of listening to British accents - I gave up and walked away. But I spend an hour a day understanding my Kiwi neighbors.

I've a friend who runs a cattle station. He's a gentlemen, his Maori wife is quite delightful, and he's quite busy with 600 head to milk. One thing he'd never do is base his opinions of another country on their tv and movies. He's been to my country and knows what is reality and not fantasy or propaganda. We keep in touch and even have teams in the same baseball fantasy leagues and hes done quite well over the years.

My wife and I wanna to get down there and visit them in a couple of years, its on our to do list. Thats not to be confused with my wife's honey do list, which I'll get done by 2037

I usually give up on topics by about the third page for this reason. I've usually said all I need to say by that stage anyway.

If ThaiVisa was a democracy I'd vote for all discussion topics to be deleted after 5 pages.

But it is a democracy, people vote with their postings or vote by not posting. If a thread goes on and on it has people posting, it'll die when people stop.

OK, it was an monarchy with me as king I'd order it to be that way.

The sceadugengan care not one whit for the hopes and dreams of others.

I would probably have to post about how the white man has suppressed everyone else all through history and stuff like that.

the white man has suppressed everyone else all through history

Better that than the other way around General.

I am in full agreement, but don't tell anybody.

Is this racist? Don't bother answering, I don't care.

Is this racist? Don't bother answering, I don't care.

I know you don't want an answer but I'll give one anyway...

No, it isn't racist because the native is white like the man being cooked - and apparently with straight hair as well. If they had colored him black, put a bone through his nose, and gave him an afro, it would have made some people back home consider it racist.

I like Kiwis because they live near places like this...

I like Kiwis because they live near places like this...

looks like wyome

Probably a lot nicer in midwinter though.

Maccaroni Man quote

Looks a lot like Wyoming

I dunno, a lot of Wyoming looks a lot like this...

There ARE some nice trout streams in Wyoming, though.

The approach up Otago Bay to Port Chalmers is one of the most stunning pieces of scenery I've ever seen.

Otago Harbour not "Otago Bay"

Now that's out of the way 'yes' Otago Harbour is considered one of the most beautiful in the world

But, IMHO, NZ has gone to hel_l in a handbasket.

Most of the folk are OK and whilst more Kiwis (as a percentage) have done their OE and travelled or worked outside the dominion (than pretty well any other country in the world) the remaining ones are pretty poorly informed about anything much outside the village or town that they reside in.

A long time friend once told me "I don't know how you can live in Thailand" and when I asked why she said "well it's full of prostitutes and drugs" to which my response was and how the <deleted> would you know? as the furthest she had ever been was to Surfers Paradise which is not even representative of Australia.

She said well I saw it (Thailand) on television and read about it in the newspapers. She was an absolute bigot which was not surprising as her husband was a real Archie Bunker if there ever was one.

And the whole country has gone overboard in being just so PC (politically correct) it sickens me.

And most of the staff at the international airports (immigration, customs and security) act as if Adolf Hitler trained them.

If I didn't have some family there I wouldn't worry if I never set foot on NZ soil again.

And most of the staff at the international airports (immigration, customs and security) act as if Adolf Hitler trained them.

I saw one of those reality TV shows which followed around customs officials at an NZ airport. It was discovered that quite a few people were illegally bringing in fruit and they were all fined. What happened was that the in-flight meal meal included an apple. A lot of people just put in in their carry on and didn't really think about it after that. Once on the ground after that long, long flight, they showed Customs asking one person if they had anything to declare - including fruit. When the person said 'no' they asked that she open her bag. They found the fruit and Boom! $200 fine. After that there was a big line of people who had to pay a fine for declaring the fruit. Despite protests that they had simnply forgotten about what the airline had given them, the Cusotms officers were - sorry, you didn't declare so you must pay the fine. It seems harsh considering the airline gave it to the passengers and obviously didn't warm them not to take the fruit with them. If that had happened in Thailand, it would have been thought of as a scam.

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http://www.maf.govt.nz/mafnet/press/030502border.htm

New Zealand's key border agencies - New Zealand Customs Service and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) Quarantine Service - are 100% behind the Border Patrol television series, the first episode of which screens on TV One on Sunday 5 May at 7pm.Border Patrol is a 10-part half-hour reality television series following the men and women of the Customs Service and MAF as they protect our country from harm. The series has been made for TVNZ by independent production company Cream TV.

"We welcome the opportunity to open the doors and let New Zealanders see something of how we work," says the Comptroller of Customs, Robin Dare.

"This series is bound to increase public knowledge of the behind the scenes work that goes into protecting New Zealand's borders - and not just at airports. Raised awareness can only be good for maintaining border security and will help to put a human face to the difficult job Customs and Quarantine officers perform every day, week and month of the year," says Mr Dare.

MAF Director-General Murray Sherwin says the series will display the dedication of these "frontline staff".

"The importance of keeping our borders secure, be that from illegal drugs smuggling in the case of Customs or from biosecurity risks in the case of MAF Quarantine Service, deserves to be recognised.

"We all look forward to watching the everyday stories that will unfold each week through Border Patrol and to the interest this will generate in the invaluable work performed by New Zealand's border agencies.

The simple message for the travelling public is "Declare It". In the first six months of the introduction of $200 instant fines for undeclared goods 4,975 fines were issued. The biggest category of fines is for undeclared fruit and vegetables, followed by stored food products such as dried fruit and nuts, contaminated equipment such as clothing and footwear, meat products and bee products.

I was a MAF officer, though not border biosecurity.

You may think $200 for an apple is harsh, and looking at it from the outside, I agree. However, NZ has a fairly unique geographic position for a "Western" country; it is isolated and bounded by the sea. This gives NZ an advantage in biosecurity. There are so many pests and diseases that blight the agricultural industries around the world but remain locked out from NZ.

Less pesticides are used. Better crops.

MAF wants to keep it that way. One innocent apple can carry with it a pest that could eventually ruin NZ's relatively disease-free horticulture.

Passengers have to fill out a declaration form, it is not just a verbal declaration. The warnings are very clear and not in fine print. There are large signs and amnesty bins before going through biosecurity screening. There really is no excuse.

I was a MAF officer, though not border biosecurity.

You may think $200 for an apple is harsh, and looking at it from the outside, I agree. However, NZ has a fairly unique geographic position for a "Western" country; it is isolated and bounded by the sea. This gives NZ an advantage in biosecurity. There are so many pests and diseases that blight the agricultural industries around the world but remain locked out from NZ.

Less pesticides are used. Better crops.

MAF wants to keep it that way. One innocent apple can carry with it a pest that could eventually ruin NZ's relatively disease-free horticulture.

Passengers have to fill out a declaration form, it is not just a verbal declaration. The warnings are very clear and not in fine print. There are large signs and amnesty bins before going through biosecurity screening. There really is no excuse.

I'm not disagreeing that bringing fruit can be dangerous. But when customs asks you - after a tiring, maybe 20 hour flight - what you have to declare, people will think about what they have packed, not what the airline - who should know better - gave them on the flight a few hours earlier. It was evident when such a large number of people were "caught" that the problem was with the airline, not with devious disease & insect smugglers hel_l bent on destroying NZ's agricultural industry. The visitors should have been given a pass and the authorities should have strongly asked the airline to stop handing out banned goods to passengers. But then, where's the profit in that?

You both have legit points, but I have to agree that the fact that the airline gave customers apples on the flight should have kept them from any severe punishments. Passengers did not bring fruit themselves and they may have reasoned that the airline fruit would have come from New Zealand and been perfectly alright.

You both have legit points, but I have to agree that the fact that the airline gave customers apples on the flight should have kept them from any severe punishments. Passengers did not bring fruit themselves and they may have reasoned that the airline fruit would have come from New Zealand and been perfectly alright.

When a form that people have to read, fill out, and sign says "do you have any fruit...etc", and when large signs in the airport say the same thing and point out the amnesty bins, and the MAF officer asks you directly, "Do you have any fruit?"....if you say no, knowing that you have an apple...well, you're a sucker or a liar. There were three chances to think about that apple.

The questions asked are not, "Do you have any fruit other than what the airline gave you?" The question is "Do you have any fruit on your person or in your baggage?" (or words to that effect).

Fruit is fruit. If you have any, declare it. Very simple.

I agree that as a courtesy to the simpletons, the airline could warn their passengers that fruit means fruit, no matter where the passenger obtained it.

I know a guy who's a real smart ass, he loves confronting authority; he travels a lot and has been known to carry a copy of the Australian Customs and Immigration act.

He suffers from indigestion and never travels with out a packet of bicarbonate of soda, a white crystalline anti acid chemical. He usually throws the box away and keeps it in the plain cellophane packet.

Anyway, this day coming to Adelaide, Customs find an unopened packet in his case and he sees the chance for a little fun. He's held, complaining loudly while they do an analysis on it, but not giving them any clues to it's nature.

When he's repacking his luggage, threatening to sue, they find a bag of dried banana chips he's forgotten were in his carry on bag.

I've never been there but I've seen sum very nice photographs!

Mainland Vintage cheddar is quite nice and available at the Suphan Tescos for a reasonable price...

then there was that Hilary fellow that climbed Everest...I have been in danger at high elevation on a mountainside and commend his achievement...

When a form that people have to read, fill out, and sign says "do you have any fruit...etc", and when large signs in the airport say the same thing and point out the amnesty bins, and the MAF officer asks you directly, "Do you have any fruit?"....if you say no, knowing that you have an apple...well, you're a sucker or a liar. There were three chances to think about that apple.

I agree that as a courtesy to the simpletons, the airline could warn their passengers that fruit means fruit, no matter where the passenger obtained it.

OK, you convinced me. I agree with both of you.

Although it's been 7 years since I was last in New Zealand, I must say the Kiwi customs agents were 1000 percent better than the Canadian customs agents. I accidently carried a pocket knife and multi-tool in my hand luggage. The customs guy in Auckand took a look at me and correctly read that I obviously wasn't a terrorist and said... "Never mind, just keep them out of sight."

I also carried fly tying materials and feathers off the hide in Plastic baggies and had no problem when I declared them. I did need to get my wading boots fumigated, but that was all.

Maybe it's changed, but I certainly was impressed on that trip. I wrote a letter saying how impressed I was with the border guards, but didn't go into details for fear the guy might have been given a bad time for NOT giving me a bad time.

Although it's been 7 years since I was last in New Zealand, I must say the Kiwi customs agents were 1000 percent better than the Canadian customs agents. I accidently carried a pocket knife and multi-tool in my hand luggage. The customs guy in Auckand took a look at me and correctly read that I obviously wasn't a terrorist and said... "Never mind, just keep them out of sight."

I also carried fly tying materials and feathers off the hide in Plastic baggies and had no problem when I declared them. I did need to get my wading boots fumigated, but that was all.

Maybe it's changed, but I certainly was impressed on that trip. I wrote a letter saying how impressed I was with the border guards, but didn't go into details for fear the guy might have been given a bad time for NOT giving me a bad time.

Well my last trip was around nine months back and when leaving Christchurch for Singapore I had to empty everything from my pockets (including my wallet with around $5,000.00 in it) onto the conveyor to go through the scanner and when going through the scanning arch something pinged me and they told me to stand facing away from where my valuables were emerging from the xray, to have the wand run over me. I told them that it was a perfect set up for anyone of them to remove a few hundred dollar bills from my wallet.

I wrote to the head of security at the airport and whilst he gave me all the assurances in the world that they were above such a ploy I remain unconvinced.

I will refuse to turn my back on the conveyor in future.

I also had another experience at Wellington airport a couple of days earlier when I struck a real smart arse at the xray scanner. He watched me put everything I had on the conveyor and then said "now your jacket" which I could have put on without removing anything from the pockets. When I said that he replied "you didn't ask"

I have had similar experiences before when entering NZ particularly at Christchurch. On one occasion they chose me to search my check in case and emptied the entire contents and then run a vacuum cleaner over the inside. The two women who were doing the search must have been descendents from someone in the SS. Then they were asking why I lived in Thailand and I had to restrain myself from saying that it was because of fat cows like them.

I have had more courteous treatment in Australia and nothing can compare with Changi, indeed I told the security chief in Christchurch that they might well benefit from sending some of their people there for some on the job training in manners and courteous communications.

Well my last trip was around nine months back and when leaving Christchurch for Singapore I had to empty everything from my pockets (including my wallet with around $5,000.00 in it) onto the conveyor to go through the scanner and when going through the scanning arch something pinged me and they told me to stand facing away from where my valuables were emerging from the xray, to have the wand run over me. I told them that it was a perfect set up for anyone of them to remove a few hundred dollar bills from my wallet.

It is rumored that they put a dwarf in the scanner in Manilla to take money from objects that are being scanned.